The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
eliminate exposure and prevent adverse health
(RCRA), as amended in 1984, mandated that
outcomes. The agenda has been developed with
ATSDR work with EPA to (1) identify new
extensive input from a wide range of agency
hazardous wastes to be regulated; (2) conduct
staff members, governmental partners, profes-
health assessments at RCRA sites at EPA's
sional associations, universities, nongovernmen-
request; and (3) consider petitions by states or
tal organizations, affected citizens, community
members of the public to conduct health assess-
groups, and Native American tribes. The agenda
ments at sites.
was developed over an 18-month period, and it
was endorsed by the ATSDR Board of Scientific
SARA broadened ATSDR's responsibilities,
Counselors on November 30, 2000.
giving ATSDR mandates to conduct public
health assessments, establish and maintain
The research projects proposed in the agenda
toxicologic databases, disseminate information,
focus on six areas: exposure assessment,
and provide medical education in the areas of
chemical mixtures, susceptible populations,
public health assessments, establishment and
communities and Native American tribes,
maintenance of toxicologic databases, informa-
evaluation and surveillance of health effects,
and health promotion and intervention. Results
Great Lakes Critical Programs Act of 1990
of research in these areas can improve ATSDR
public health activities and interventions for
report to Congress on the adverse health effects
communities exposed to hazardous substances
of water pollutants on people, fish, shellfish,
through contaminated water, soil, air, or food.
and wildlife.
Research in each area will improve the tools,
methods, and approaches used to evaluate and
prevent exposure and adverse health outcomes.
The agenda will facilitate planning and commu-
Planning for the future direction of the agency
areas of research. The research efforts will
was a key priority for ATSDR in fiscal
benefit numerous communities in the United
year 2000. ATSDR embarked on several tasks
States and around the world as the research
designed to take a long-range view of the
findings are incorporated into
more effective
agency's public health activities. Specifically,
environmental public health practice. The
ATSDR developed a research agenda, began
agenda will be updated over time to monitor
working with the National Center for Envi-
ronmental Health to develop a vision for
environmental public health, and finalized a
memorandum of understanding with the
year to examine ways for the agency to better
Chemical Safety Board.
achieve its mission. ATSDR began working with
the National Center for Environmental Health
The research agenda, Environmental Public
(NCEH) to develop a vision statement of a
Health Research Agenda 20022010, will help
model environmental health program at CDC. A
guide ATSDR's research programs through the
CDC/ATSDR Working Group drafted a report
first decade of the new millennium. The pro-
on a shared vision that aims to establish com-
posed research will directly support the
mon ground on which to build ATSDR and
agency's goals of identifying people at health
NCEH programs that would become national
and international resources for addressing
substances and human health, and intervening to
8 Agency Profile